


Poisonous Words

by mellamomuyloco



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-29
Updated: 2013-04-29
Packaged: 2017-12-09 21:59:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/778448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellamomuyloco/pseuds/mellamomuyloco
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sticks and stones may break your bones, but if you think words can never hurt you, then you haven't crossed Rita Skeeter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Poisonous Words

_BESTSELLING AUTHOR RELEASES NEW BIOGRAPHY_

_Local Wandmaker Exposed As DE Sympathiser_

_reported 6 February 2004_

_Call her a busy woman. Author and journalist Rita Skeeter, with a highly-publicised marriage and pregnancy under her belt and another child on the way, is still working diligently to add to her repertoire of biographies. She is said to have "an obligation to inform the masses of the true natures behind some of the more prominent figureheads of the war."_

_In her newest release, Turnabout's Fair Play: The Peter Pettigrew Story, Skeeter shockingly reveals that Pettigrew was not, in fact, a fatality of Sirius Black's deranged attack, as had been reported previously, and was very much secretly alive until March of 1998. She paints a picture of a pitiful boy, as much betrayed as traitor, with a devious mind that nobody gave him credit for until it was much too late. And, of course, there was a woman._

_One of Skeeter's most valuable resources, Amaryllis Byrd, 43, of Waltham Forest, told nearly everything she knew about the elusive Pettigrew. This was surprisingly proven to be much, with the revelation that Byrd was his lover for several years. She mentioned looking up to him as a young Hufflepuff, which quickly blossomed into romance, as well as something deeper and more obsessive._

_Skeeter herself was shocked upon learning that Byrd is an Empath, and furthermore was permanently bonded to Pettigrew through said Empathy. Byrd's sanity doubtless suffered and dwindled as a direct result of this, and is being taken under scrutiny. More shocking is Byrd's knowledge of the Death Eaters' intricate workings through her interactions with Pettigrew. She allegedly housed and hid him on several occasions, one incident in particular resulting in her six-year-old son Jude, whom she has disturbingly given his father's surname._

_A self-proclaimed former 'flower child' and defender of Muggle rights, Byrd has been a beacon in the magical community as of late, taking over the vacated shop once belonging to the late great Owain Ollivander. This book may spell trouble for the wandmaker, whether in simply bad publicity or in a court trial. No word on what that would do to her business, or to her children, Jude, and adopted daughter Persephone, 4._

Near the centre of the page, mournful dark eyes stared pleadingly back at the reader. If she hadn't been so sad-looking, her appearance may have been almost comical, with buck teeth, freckles, and pointed ears. Her cheeks were slightly sunken, as if she'd lost weight, and twin braids doubtless looked silly on a grown woman. In short, she may have been a photo, but the bespectacled blond woman looked ready to burst into tears.

“Who knew the truth was so damaging?”

Heavily-outlined green eyes skimmed the article. This was the greatest scam known to journalism – drug the interviewee with truth serum, get her answers, and have her husband erase the person’s memory.

“Or so fun?”

Proudly, Rita Skeeter-Lockhart met the hollow eyes of the photo and smiled wickedly.

“Beautiful.”


End file.
